Device for holding cigarettes and cigars



July 25, 1939. MP EGE' 2,167,586

DEVICE FOR HOLDING CIGARETTES AND CIGARS Filed Feb. 24, 1957 Patented July 25, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR HOLDING OIGARETTES AND CIGARS Max Poege, Uster, near Zurich, Switzerland Application February 24, 1937, Serial No. 127,541 In Germany September 27, 1935 Claims.

The known devices for holding cigarettes or cigars consist as a rule of two relatively stiff spring bows for clamping the cigar or cigarette. These devices are only suitable for holding either 5 a relatively thin article (cigarette) or a relatively thick article (cigar), but are not suitable for holding both thin cigarettes and thick cigars without damage to the same.

The invention overcomes these difficulties l)? through the employment in a device for holding cigarettes and cigars, as an essential component part, of two very thin spring bows which are tensioned in an arc and are supported laterally in a frame. As these thin steel spring bands,

the thickness of which may be less than mm., are very flexible, they adapt themselves very readily to the article placed between these spring bands, without in the least damaging it by too great a pressure.

The invention is described below with reference to the constructional examples illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a holding device;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same holding device with a cigar placed therein;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a particularly useful form of holding device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

The new holding device according to Fig. 1 consists substantially of a plate I, known per se, on

which a cigar or cigarette can be placed, a frame 2 with lateral supporting parts 3 and two very thin spring bands 4 which are tensioned in an arc and are supported at the points 5 and 6 in the lateral supporting parts. The two spring bands 4,

which as shown at Fig. 1 may make contact with one another in the point I, may be either securely fixed or removably inserted at the points 5 and 6.

The manner in which a cigar or cigarette is held in this device is shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the very thin spring bands arrange themselves snugly against the inserted cigar 8. The great flexibility of such a thin spring band 4 is due to the fact, that'not only the points of pressure in the vicinity of the cigar 8 bend, but

that the spring band 4 is bent or deformed in its entirety.

From Figs. 1 and 2 it is clear, that cigarettes can of course be held in the same way in one and the same device.

In Figs. 3 to 5 a particularly practical and simple holding device according to the invention is shown. In this constructional form the spring bands consist of two closed rings 9 each of which is inserted in a small flat, hollow box 10. These rings may be formed, from a piece of spring band 5 by soldering the ends as indicated at 9a. This small box is suitably made of sheet metal and is chromium-plated or nickel-plated on the outside.

As will be seen from the drawing, two oppositewalls of the box l0 have a portion cut-away as 10 indicated at H to form a U-shaped opening into which the cigarette or cigar can be placed so as to rest on the plate I. With the box walls being cut away at H in such a manner, two lateral openings l2 (Fig. 4) are formed, through which 15 the spring rings 9 can be introduced conveniently in the direction of the arrows A (Fig. 3). This easy insertion and convenient removal of the rings is essential for the cleaning of the holding device. The spring rings can with a single pull be 20 removed from the box and, after the box has been emptied, the springs can be readily inserted again.

As is shown more particularly in Fig. 5, the spring rings 9 rest against the narrow side walls 25 13 of the box and find an abutment against them more particularly when a cigar or a cigarette is placed therein, as shown in Fig. 5. It will be seen from this figure that the pliability of the spring rings is greater than that of the spring 30 bands of Fig. 1, as in this case not only half a circular arc, but a whole circular ring suffers an elastic deformation.

It will also be seen from Figs. 4 and 5 that in the frame or the box H] a bridge piece I4 is provided, which is disposed between the spring rings at the level of the supporting plate. This bridge is more particularly provided for the purpose of holding the spring bands or the inserted cigar or cigarette in the central position, so that 40 the latter cannot be pressed against the edges l5 of the cut-away portions.

The box [0 shown in Figs. 3 to 5 may be fixed in an ash-tray l6 very simply by means of a clamp ll which is fixed t0 the ash-tray and into 45 which the box may be inserted. The holding device may also be so constructed as to be integral with the ash-tray. This constructional form is particularly suitable in cases in which instead of sheet metal a ceramic material, such for in- 50 stance, as porcelain, or plastic masses (pressed artificial resin) are used. Thus in the side wall of a porcelain ash-tray cavities may be provided, into which the two spring loops can be inserted in the same way as in the box III. This particu 55 larly advantageous constructional form of the invention can be made at very low cost and is also very easy to clean.

What I claim is:

1. A holding device for cigarettes and cigars comprising, a plate on which the cigar or cigarette can be placed, rigid means having lateralsupporting parts and two relatively thin spring bands forming two ring members which find an abutment against the lateral supporting part of said means, and said spring bands being constructed and arranged so that a cigarette or cigar placed between adjacent faces thereof will be clamped thereby.

2. A holding device for cigarettes and cigars comprising, a plate on which the cigar or cigarette can be placed, rigid means consisting of a flat hollow box having a U-shaped portion cut away in the two broad walls, two relatively thin spring band rings arranged in the box each of which finds an abutment against a narrow side wall thereof, and said spring bands being constructed and arranged so that a cigarette or cigar placed between adjacent faces thereof will be clamped thereby.

3. A holding device for cigarettes and cigars comprising, a plate on which the cigar or cigarette can be placed, a frame having lateral supporting parts, two relatively thin spring bands which find an abutment against the lateral supporting parts of the frame, said spring bands being constructed and arranged so that a cigarette or cigar placed between adjacent faces thereof will be clamped thereby, and a bridge member supported by the frame disposed between the spring bands at the level of the supporting plate.

4. A holding device for cigarettes and cigars comprising, a fiat hollow box having a U-shaped recess formed in the two broad walls thereof, two closed relatively thin spring bands arranged in said box, said bands being constructed and arranged so that a cigarette or cigar placed in the recess between adjacent faces of the bands will be clamped thereby, and a plate disposed adjacent the lower edge of the recess on which plate the cigar or cigarette can rest.

5. A holding device for cigarettes and cigars comprising, a fiat hollow box having a U-shaped recess formed in the two broad walls thereof, two closed relatively thin spring bands arranged in said box, said bands being constructed and arranged so that a cigarette or cigar placed in the recess between adjacent faces of the bands will be clamped thereby, a plate disposed adjacent the lower edge of the recess on which plate the cigar or cigarette can rest, a tray for receiving the ashes from the cigar or cigarette held by said bands, and a yieldable clamp carried by the tray for removably securing the box to the tray.

MAX POEGE. 

